Blue
by Gromia
Summary: My first fic, slightly revised. During a routine mission, Cap hits his head and something unexpected happens as a result.
1. Mission

**A/N:** This is still the same story as years ago but I felt this thing needed some editing/revising. Nothing's changed but I did add a little something to add substance. **Please R&R.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Captain Planet and Planeteers. The cartoon belongs to Ted Turner and them. But my OC Kim and her pet are mine.

**Chapter 1: Mission**

"Planeteers to the Crystal Chamber!" rang out Gaia's voice.

The Planeteers dropped whatever they had been doing and ran to the Chamber. "What's up, Gaia?" asked Wheeler when the five of them had arrived.

"See for yourself," Gaia replied, waving her hand in front of the screen. On it, they saw a wide clearing of tree stumps, which was at least 150 meters across. "Dr. Blight is at it again."

"Why would she be cutting trees? She has never done that before," Linka said, puzzled.

"Oh, yes she has," Kwame stated, on the same page with the spirit. He had always cared about trees and seeing all the cleared space made him sad. "Remember the Tree of Life?"

"Why would she…?" Ma-Ti asked. Then it occurred to him. "Does she think there are more of them?"

"It seems that way. _We_ know the tree she cut down was the only one," Gaia replied.

"I doubt she'll listen to us if we tell her she's doing all that for nothing," Wheeler said.

"Well, we have to at least try," Gi said. "Let's go!"

Gaia told them where to go and watched them run to the Geo-Cruiser. "Good luck," she called after them.

Blight was doing tests in her RV-turned-lab with the sap she had collected from the trees she'd felled. "Where is it!" Blight raged, getting impatient.

"Like I told you before, Doctor," MAL, Blight's computer sidekick, spoke up. "The tree you felled some time ago might very well have been the only Tree of Life."

But Blight wouldn't hear of it. "I refuse to believe that MAL!"

"Have it your way, then." All of a sudden, MAL's sensors detected something. "Excuse me, Doctor."

"What is it, MAL? Can't you see I'm busy?" Blight said impatiently.

"It's the Planeteers." One of MAL's screens lit up and showed the Geo-Cruiser approaching.

Blight sneered. "I was wondering when those Planetpains would show up," she said.

"At this rate, there will soon not be any trees left in this forest," Kwame commented, looking at the clearing.

"Or any forest," Ma-Ti added, thinking about his home village in the Amazon.

"Look at that!" Gi exclaimed, pointing. "Those have to be the things she uses to cut the trees down so fast."

All of them looked in the direction she was pointing. They saw four huge machines with two sets of arms. The upper sets were normal looking arms. The other had circular saws. The upper set was probably used for lifting the trunks to the nearby trailer. Attached to the trailer was a RV: Blight's lab-on-wheels. At the moment the 'bots appeared to be inactive. The Planeteers landed and cautiously approached the robojacks.

When they were just a few feet away, they heard Blight's voice, "Attack my beauties, and get rid of those Planetpests for me!" The robojacks came to life and started advancing toward them, the saws coming to life as well, and reaching for the kids. The Planeteers started to back away.

Well, all except one. Wheeler took a few steps backwards, and then turned to look at the 'jacks. "Is this the best you can come up with for an army, Blight? These things don't look so tough," he said pointing his ring at the lead robot. "Fire!" However, his blast didn't leave a mark on the thing. It kept coming. "Okay. So they're fireproof. Now what do we do?" he asked the others, catching up to them.

"Let me try," Kwame said. He stopped retreating and pointed his ring at the ground under the lead 'jack's feet. "Earth!" A hole appeared in the ground and the robot dropped inside the hole. But it climbed out with ease. The rest just sidestepped the hole and all four resumed their advance, saws extended and buzzing wildly. "It is no use. We cannot stop them."

Wheeler looked at him. "Time for a team-beam?" he asked, ready for what he knew was coming next.

Kwame nodded. He pointed his ring upwards. "Let our powers combine! Earth!"

"Fire!"

"Wind!"

"Water!"

"Heart!"

Five streaks of light shot out from the rings and merged to form the most powerful being on the planet. "By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!"

"Go, Planet!"

The eco-hero saw the robojacks closing in on the Planeteers. Without taking his eyes off them, he said, "Planeteers! You catch Blight and I'll take care of these tin-cans!" With that, Cap dived for the 'bots.

"We're on it, Cap," Wheeler said. "Let's go, guys!" The five ran towards Blight's RV.

"Ha! You'll never catch me!" Blight shouted and jumped inside the vehicle, started the motor a drove away.

"Come on! To the Geo-Cruiser!" Kwame exclaimed, and they ran to the plane. Getting in they took off after Blight.

Cap had taken care of two of the 'jacks, which were lying on the ground in a melted heap. The first thing he'd done was put the circular saws out of commission on all of them. Now he was bounding the third one full on and then gave the final blow, sending a blast of fire.

"Three down, one to go," he said to himself, glancing in the direction Blight's lab-on-wheels and his friends had gone. "I hope the Planeteers catch her and put the not so good doctor where she belongs."

That momentary distraction was all the remaining robojack needed. With one powerful swing of one of its remaining arms, it sent Cap flying across the clearing.

"Whoa! That thing packs quite a wallop," he muttered, trying to stop himself but his momentum made him hit a tree quite hard and the superhero fell to the ground. Before Cap had a chance to do anything, the 'jack grabbed him again and threw him deeper into the woods. As he was flung he sent a burst of fire and the 'bot was melted enough to cause its circuits to fry and it stopped in its tracks.

"That's all of 'em. Now to…" As he hit the ground, he hit his head on a jagged rock and cried out in pain. The trees started to blur in his eyes. Cap tried to clear his head enough so that he could return the powers to the rings and go recover.

But then everything went black as he lost consciousness. The blood from the cut on his forehead stained the ground.

The Planeteers had caught Blight. Now they were waiting for the police to arrive, having short-circuited MAL's control circuits, just in case if he could control the RV.

"You cut those trees for nothing, Dr. Blight," Kwame told her. "The tree you cut down some time ago was the only one of its kind. The only Tree of Life there was."

"You're just saying that, because you don't want me to find your precious tree," Blight said, still refusing to believe.

"Whether you believe it or not, it's still true," Wheeler said, leaning against the side of the RV.

"Once you're behind bars, Blight, we'll have one less villain to worry about," Gi said, tying Blight's hands behind her back.

The villain glared at them all. "I hope my robojacks finish that do-gooder of yours!"

Wheeler smirked. "I doubt it. _He's_ probably finished with _them_."

"Then why has he not returned yet?" Kwame asked, glancing at his ring. It had never before taken the superhero this long to get a job done.

"He's probably taking the 'jacks to a recycling center," Wheeler said with a shrug, not worried. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"Recycling center, my foot," Blight muttered.

"Still, he should be back by now," Kwame insisted. Even if the superhero was taking the robojacks to a recycling center, that hadn't taken him long either.

A moment later, they heard the sirens. The police had arrived. The Planeteers watched as Blight was ushered inside the police car.

"You better take that RV along, too. Her computer sidekick is in there," Gi called to one of the officers.

"Right," he said and climbed in the RV.

"We better go and see what is keeping Captain Planet," Kwame told his friends. So they climbed aboard the Geo-Cruiser again and went back the way they had come.


	2. Meeting in a forest

**A/N:** Here enters a person who will change our hero's life more than he realizes.

**Chapter 2: A meeting in a forest**

A woman, who just happened to be close by, had heard the noise of Cap tackling with the 'bots.

'_What was all that noise about?'_ she wondered. She brushed her brown hair away from her green eyes and decided to take a look. "Come on, Buddy," she said to her dog, a German shepherd. "Let's check it out."

They entered the woods cautiously, the woman looking around her. She walked deeper, and when she didn't see anything out of the ordinary, was about to turn back, when she saw Buddy sniffing at something. Curious, she went to take a closer look. She found a strange looking man lying on the ground on his stomach. He had blue skin, green hair and red garments complete with gloves and boots. The woman assumed the get up to be some kind of fancy suit for a masquerade.

She rolled him over, noticing the bleeding wound on his forehead. _'Ouch. That must've hurt.'_

Buddy sniffed at the wound, whining a bit. "Yes, Buddy," the woman acknowledged. "I can see he's hurt."

The guy stirred. "Ooh…" Slowly he opened his eyes and focused on her, his hand instinctively going to his forehead, wincing as he touched the wound. His fingers came away bloody. "What hit me?"

The woman helped him sit up. "You must've hit your head on that rock over there," she said, pointing.

He looked in the direction she pointed. The object did have a telltale smudge on it. "Ouch."

"Easy, Buddy," the woman told her dog absently, expecting him to start growling at the stranger.

But to her surprise, Buddy didn't do anything of the sort. Instead, he wagged his tail and indicated he wanted a scratch. The guy obliged.

"Well, well. You seem to have a way with animals," the woman said. "Usually he's not this friendly with strangers."

"He seems quite friendly to me," he observed and scratched the dog behind the ears. "What did you say his name was? Buddy?"

"Yes. Let's see if I can do something about that cut. It looks quite nasty." The woman removed her backpack from her back and took a water bottle from it and a tissue packet from the back pocket of her jeans, taking a couple tissues.

"That's how it feels, too," the stranger admitted.

"I can imagine." She wiped most of the blood away with the first, then wetting the other with the water from the bottle, began to clean the wound of the dirt still clinging to it. The guy grimaced a couple of times but didn't make a sound.

The woman had expected the blue color to come off with the water, but it didn't. _'What the…?' _she thought, shocked._ 'This guy's not human.'_

"What's the matter?" the guy asked, noticing her shocked expression.

She took a deep breath. "Um, is your skin supposed to be blue? Because the color does not come off like I expected it to. So mind telling me who you are?"

He seemed to notice his unusual color now and started to say something but frowned instead. "I-I don't remember." The woman noticed momentary panic in his brown eyes before it was gone._'Who or what am I supposed to be?'_he wondered.

"Oh, dear." She finished cleaning the wound, and fished for another tissue and gave it to him. "Here. It's still bleeding." She crammed the used tissues into her jacket pocket.

Figuring he'd find out eventually, he took the proffered tissue, wiping his hand and put it over the wound. "Thanks."

'_Whoever he is, I can't leave him here all alone,'_she thought, looking at him. "Maybe I should take you to my cabin."

He looked at her again, seeming surprised. "Really?"

The woman smiled a little. "Considering that my dog here seems to like you, I think it's safe." And somehow she felt she could trust him.

He figured he didn't have that many options at the moment. "Well, I guess going to your cabin's a good idea, considering I wouldn't know where else to go."

She nodded. "My thought exactly. By the way, my name is Kim."

The guy smiled. "Nice to meet you, Kim. I'd tell you my name… if I remembered what it is."

"I'm sure you'll remember everything soon," Kim said, a hand on his shoulder. "Just be patient." She thought for a moment. "Blue."

He frowned. "Come again?"

"Well, I do have to call you something, you know," she pointed out. "And I think Blue fits you quite nicely."

Blue took a look at himself again and smiled a little. "Yeah, it does indeed."

"Maybe you should take it easy for a minute before we go," Kim said then, looking at him. "You don't look so good."

"I'm fine." Blue stood up, took a couple of steps and staggered. Kim was by his side in a flash and supported him.

"Fine, huh?" She quirked an eyebrow.

"Well, I do feel a little dizzy," he admitted and grimaced. "And I got a nasty headache." He sat down against the tree. Buddy went to him and lay down beside him.

"The dizziness and headache should pass soon," Kim told him, sitting down across from him. "You see, I was in an accident a couple of years ago and hit my head." The bloody tissue fell from her pocket.

This clearly surprised him. "And lost your memory?"

"Yes," Kim said with a nod. "It all came back to me after a few days."

Buddy noticed the scrapped robojack, got up and went to investigate on the big metal thing, sniffing at it curiously.

Kim turned to look what the dog was so curious about. "What's that thing doing here? It looks quite scrapped. And look," she said, pointing. "There are more of them." Kim turned to look at him. "Maybe you did that, Blue."

Blue raised his eyebrows. "What makes you think I did?"

"I'm just guessing here," the woman admitted. "But since you're obviously not human, I just assumed…" Kim shrugged. "No offence, of course."

Blue smiled. "None taken. And there's one way to find out," he said and held up the index finger of his free hand.

"Oh? What's that?" Kim asked, turning to look at him. She had noticed the tree stumps._'This clearing wasn't here a week ago…'_

"I'll try to create a small fire on the tip of my finger here," he explained, concentrating and soon a fire a bit bigger than a candle flame appeared on the fingertip.

Kim started. "To be honest, I didn't really expect that to happen," she said, smiling a little.

Blue grinned. "I noticed." He blew on his finger and put out the flame. "Still want to take me to your cabin?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"If you promise not to burn it down, I will," the brunette told him. Getting a promise that he wouldn't, Kim was satisfied with that and turned back to look at the clearing. "Who's been cutting the trees? I don't remember this clearing being here."

Blue shrugged. "No idea. I don't even remember who I am so how could I know that?"

"Oh, well. You feeling better now?" Kim asked him and Blue nodded. "I think we should go then." She stood up. "Buddy, come here, boy! We're going!"

As the dog rejoined them, Blue stood up as well and glanced at the melted robot. Had he really done that? Shrugging, he caught up with Kim and Buddy.

The tissue the woman had wiped the wound with was left behind near the rock.


	3. Missing superhero

**Chapter 3: Missing superhero**

Day 1, the clearing

The Planeteers were flying back toward the clearing. Captain Planet still hadn't returned, and they were beginning to get worried. "Maybe he decided to wait for us back at the clearing," Ma-Ti said hopefully. He didn't sound too sure about it, though.

They arrived back to the 'scene of the crime' as Wheeler put it. They landed beside the wrecked 'jacks and climbed out.

"That's three," Gi said. "I remember there was four of them. So where's one?"

Kwame looked around. "There it is," he said, pointing to the edge of the clearing.

They went to the slightly melted hulk. "The robojacks are all here. But where is Captain Planet?" Linka asked, looking around, a worried expression on her face.

"Don't worry, babe," Wheeler told her. "I'm sure he hasn't gone far."

Kwame looked around and something white caught his attention further in the woods. He went to it and found a bloody tissue. Something told him it was important.

Picking it up, the Earth Planeteer joined the others. "Could this be his blood?" he asked, holding the tissue up for the other four to see.

"Let's hope it's not," Gi stated. Until now, the superhero hadn't been hurt like this so it felt a bit weird to think he actually had blood. She had to remind herself he was half human.

The Planeteers decided to take the tissue back to Hope Island, for Gaia to determine if the blood on it was indeed Captain Planet's. Before they took off, however, they called for the appropriate authorities to take the wrecked robojacks and the truck away.

Day 1, Kim's cabin

Kim and Blue were walking towards the cabin. "My grandfather built it when he was young," she told him when the building came into sight. "We used to come here on vacations when I was a kid. I liked it so much that I decided to move here permanently."

"I can see why," Blue said, looking around. "But isn't it lonely out here?"

"I'm not here alone, remember?" Kim said with a smile and patted Buddy's head. "I have this fellow to keep me company."

They walked along the path to the cabin. There was vegetable garden to one side of the path and Blue could see a lake nearby.

Kim opened the door and led the way inside. She turned to him, checking the cut. "Good, it's not bleeding anymore," the woman observed. "I'll put a bandage on it just in case. You go and make yourself comfortable on the couch. I'll be with you in a minute." She pointed the way.

Blue walked down the hall, stopping in front of a mirror to look at his wound_. 'Kim was right. That looks nasty.'_ He looked at his reflection for a moment, running a hand through the green hair. Shrugging, Blue went to the living room, Buddy following. He sat down on the couch and looked around the room.

There was another couch in a 90-degree angle from the couch Blue sat on. In the back there was a door, leading to the backyard. On the wall facing the backyard there was a fireplace and on both sides of it there was a painting on the wall, one was of a dog that looked like Buddy, the other of a group of people. Near the door, there was another entrance to the kitchen. The other had been in the hall. On the opposite wall from the couch was a TV on a chest of drawers, a VCR beside it. In front of the big windows, which made up most of the front wall were a few plants and among them two other chairs, a small table between them. There was a table in front of the couch as well.

Blue decided to follow Kim's advice and make himself comfortable. He leaned back, his arms on the backrest of the couch. It was very comfortable. Buddy lay down next to the table.

A clatter of dishes and water running could be heard from the kitchen. Then Kim came back to the living room. She put the box and the water bowl down on the table and sat down next to him. The woman dipped a handkerchief in the bowl and wiped away the clotted blood. Next, she reached to the box and took a roll of gauze, cutting a long piece from it. Folding the gauze a few times, she put it over the wound, holding it in place with pieces of tape.

Kim leaned back to examine her handiwork. "There. All done. Not bad for a beginner."

"Thanks." Blue stared out the window while she took the box back. When she came back, he turned to her. "Kim?"

"Yes, Blue?"

"Why did you decide to help me?" he asked, curious. "You could've easily just left me."

Kim sat down beside him. "You needed help. Of course, I could've just left you like you said. But I couldn't do that. I told you I have experienced this stuff, too. What I didn't tell you before is that after the accident I wandered the streets and ended up being homeless for a time."

"Didn't your family look for you when you went missing?" Blue wanted to know.

"Yes, they did. But they just didn't think to check the side alleys." She paused, and then said, "I didn't want that happening to you, even though I didn't know you. Of course, you can leave any time you want."

"But where would I go?" Blue wondered. "I don't even remember if there was someone with me when this happened." He indicated the bandage. "Could there be somebody looking for me?" He shrugged. "If there is, will they be able to find me? What if…?"

Kim held up her hand. "Take it easy. If there is somebody looking for you, they'll find this cabin eventually. Like I told you on the way here, there's nobody else around for miles. You can stay here for as long as it takes for your memory to return or somebody comes asking for you."

Blue smiled, grateful for that. "Thanks."

Kim smiled back. "No problem." She got up. "I'm going to get something to eat now. You want something, Blue?" she asked him as she went to the kitchen. Buddy followed her.

"No, thanks. I'm not hungry."

Day 1, Hope Island

The Planeteers had arrived back to Hope Island. They were talking with Gaia in the Crystal Chamber.

"The blood on this tissue is indeed Captain Planet's," she confirmed. The spirit had to admit she was worried. "Ma-Ti, didn't you get anything from him while you were chasing Dr. Blight?"

Ma-Ti shook his head. "Uh, wait a minute. I did get a brief sensation of pain but thought it was nothing at the time."

"Well, now we know why he did not return," Kwame said quietly.

"But what we do not know is where he is or with who," Linka said, glancing at the tissue. "Or how badly he is hurt."

"Why do ya think he's with someone, babe?" Wheeler asked.

The Russian gave him an exasperated look. "Think about it, Yankee. Where did that tissue come from?"

"Oh. Good point," the American said. "But did Cap go willingly or was he forced to go?"

"This tissue Kwame found suggests that the person means him no harm," Gaia told them, fingering the said tissue. "Maybe he just wanted to help."

"Still, we'll go back and start searching for him," Gi said determinedly.

Gaia smiled. "He can be grateful for having friends like you."

But, as it turned out, they didn't get the chance to go and search for the superhero that day. Linka received word that her grandmother was sick, Wheeler that his father had died. Kwame, Gi and Ma-Ti were needed to go to their families, as well.

"Of all the luck all of us have to go, when we should be looking for Cap," Wheeler muttered. Not to mention the fact that he felt a bit naked without his power.

The Planeteers took the Geo-Cruiser and Eco-Copter and left, each to his or her family.

Gaia looked at the tissue she was holding._'Where are you, Planet?'_Any attempt at contacting him had resulted in nothing. So far.

Day 1, Kim's cabin

The two of them were watching a movie. After Kim had eaten her supper, she had suggested they do that.

Blue, on the other hand, still wasn't hungry at all. He thought about it for a moment. "It could be that I don't need to eat," he concluded. "So what does that make me? A freak of nature?"

"I wouldn't call you a freak," Kim disagreed. "Just different."

Blue smiled. "You seem to take all this in stride," he observed. The woman hadn't been startled by anything other than the fire so far. If you didn't count the time when she had been shocked to find out he wasn't human. But she seemed to have come to grips with that already.

Kim shrugged. "That's just the way I am. But you creating that fire did startle me a bit."

That got him thinking. "I wonder if there's something else I can do," he said thoughtfully. "Besides the fire."

"Just do it outside if you're gonna do some experimenting," Kim told him.

"Yes, mother," he said with a grin.

Kim snickered, reaching out to ruffle his hair in the spur of the moment. "That's a good boy."

After they finished watching the movie, they went outside. First, Blue tried the fire again, accidentally burning a bush. Kim had prepared for that. She had a bucket of water that she used to put out the fire before it spread.

"Whoops," Blue said. "Better stop before I do any more damage." He would have wanted to put the fire out himself if he just had known how to go about it.

"That's a pretty good idea," Kim said. "And don't worry. That bush will grow back."

They went to the backyard and sat down on the chairs there. The table and chairs had tiles under them. The rest of the backyard consisted of a lawn. It had a fence around it and a gate with a trail that led to the lake Blue had seen when they had arrived here.

"Your grandfather picked a nice spot for this cabin. It's beautiful here," Blue said.

"Yeah, it is," Kim agreed. "I prefer to live here instead of in the city. The air is cleaner for one." She scratched Buddy behind the ears. "It's nice to have someone to talk to for a change," she said, smiling at him. "This fellow does listen but he doesn't talk back."

Blue smiled. "How long have you had him?"

"For two years now. He used to be a stray."

This piece of news was a surprise. "Oh, so you found him when…"

"When I was homeless, yes," Kim confirmed. "He found me actually. I put an ad in the local paper but nobody asked about him."

Blue could guess the rest. "And you decided to give him a home."

"Yes," the woman confirmed. "I took him to the vet just to make sure he was okay. She told me he was around 2 years old. Hard to believe he used to be a stray when you look at him now, huh?" Kim put her arms around the dog's neck.

"It sure is," Blue agreed.

Kim glanced at her watch. "Let's go back inside. There's a movie coming up that I want to watch."

When the movie ended, she yawned. "I'm going to bed now. You don't seem tired, though," the woman observed looking at him.

Blue realized she was right. "Now that you mention it, I'm not. So maybe I don't need to sleep, either. Lucky me."

"You're calling staying awake all night lucky?" she asked as if he was crazy.

"Hey, I was being sarcastic here," Blue told her with a grin.

"Oh, sure." Kim smiled and stood up. Buddy came to her and sat down, looking up at her, tail wagging. "Oh, dear. I'm too tired to take you for a walk, boy. Sorry." She patted the dog's head.

"I can take him," Blue offered, wanting to return the favor of her taking him in somehow.

"Thanks," she said gratefully. She yawned again and went to the stairs behind the kitchen, and climbed to the second floor.

"Let's go, Buddy." Blue at first thought to put the dog on a leash but then decided against it. He was pretty sure Buddy would obey him.

They went outside. Buddy ran to the edge of the clearing the cabin was in and was sniffing away at something. Blue went to the dog. "Don't wander too far, ya hear?" Buddy gave a low 'woof'.

After the dog was done, they went back inside. Buddy climbed upstairs. Blue went to the living room and lay down on the couch. Of course, he could've gone upstairs too, but didn't want to invade Kim's privacy. Blue closed his eyes, not sleeping but it sure beat staring at the ceiling all night.

Upstairs, Kim was thinking about her guest._'He may not be human, but there's something about him that I like.'_


	4. Wondering

**Chapter 4: Wondering**

Day 2

The Planeteers informed Gaia that they were required to stay with their families for few more days. Wheeler wanted to be there for his mother during the funeral. Linka's grandmother was already feeling a little better but Linka wanted to make sure she got well. The other three had other issues. Fortunately, no eco-emergencies came up.

Day 2, Kim's cabin

Coming downstairs with Buddy, Kim noted her guest lay on the couch. Hearing footsteps, the said guest opened his eyes.

"Good morning," she greeted him cheerfully. "Did you sleep after all?" Then again, if he had slept, he had to have been a very light sleeper to have woken up so easily.

Buddy went to Blue and indicated that he wanted a scratch. "Morning. No, I didn't, but I figured having my eyes closed was better than staring at the ceiling all night," Blue said, sitting up and scratched the dog behind the ears.

"Yeah, I guess staring at that ceiling would be kind of boring," Kim said as she made her way to the kitchen to make some coffee. After a while she came back to the living room, and took the remote and switched the TV on.

Blue was about to say something when he happened to look at the TV screen, his eyes widening. There on the screen were five kids. They seemed familiar somehow. "What the…?"

The tone of his voice made Kim look at him. "What is it, Blue?"

He nodded at the TV. "Those kids over there. They seem familiar. Just can't place them." He frowned. The newscaster was telling something about the kids, who were called Planeteers.

Kim thought about it for a moment. "Well, here's a theory. They seem familiar 'cause you know them. Or at least you should. Hey, they even have that same kind of globe on their T-shirts you got."

Blue did indeed have a strong feeling that he should know the group. "I can see that," he said, touching the globe on his chest. "But there's one difference. This is no print on a shirt. It seems to be a part of me."

He stood up and went to the windows and stood there looking out, arms crossed on his chest. He sighed, feeling frustrated that he didn't remember a thing. Kim went to him and looked at him for a moment, her eyes full of sympathy. Hesitantly, she put her right hand on Blue's shoulder and placed her left hand on his upper arm. She let her head rest on his shoulder.

"I know what you're going through," Kim murmured. When Blue turned to look at her, she smiled at him. "Come on, cheer up."

"How is it that you can cheer me up just with your smile?" Blue wondered and smiled.

"That's better," Kim said and ruffled his hair. "I guess I have a knack for it," she added, winking. "My coffee should be ready now. Time for some breakfast," she announced and made her way to the kitchen.

Blue watched her go and smiled._'It's like she lights up the room,' _he thought._'Hmm. Now where did that come from?'_

"Could you check out the weather report, Blue?" Kim called from the kitchen.

"Sure," he called back, taking a few steps back so he could see the TV screen. The weatherman appeared beside a map with symbols on it. "It's gonna be a rainy day," Blue told Kim, as she came back to the living room with a cup of coffee and a couple of sandwiches on a plate. He sat back down on the couch.

"It's been cloudy for a week now," Kim complained. "What kind of a summer is a cloudy and rainy one? Besides, I want to get a nice tan before my vacation is over. Did he say anything about when the sun would be coming out?"

"You'll have to wait a few days," he told her. "I think that's when he said the clouds would clear."

"Great." She was noticeably upset.

"Now would be your turn to cheer up," Blue said, grinning. He couldn't help but be amused.

Kim looked at him apologetically. "Here I am worrying about the sun not shining when we have more important things to worry about."

"We? I thought I was the one whose memory has taken a vacation."

"We are in this together aren't we? I involved myself when I brought you here." She put her hand on his and smiled. "I'll try to help if you'll let me."

Blue smiled back. "Thanks, Kim. I appreciate that." It was good to know he wasn't alone. He glanced at the TV. "Do you happen to know something about these Planeteers? What they do and all?"

"Doesn't the name tell you anything?" Kim asked. "They're fighting against polluters. All in all trying to make this planet better to live on."

"A noble cause. In fact, just thinking about somebody ruining and polluting this planet gets me all worked up. It's the only home we've got after all."

"That's another thing you have in common with them, then. Besides the globes," she said. "I'd sure like to meet the Planeteers someday," she added as an afterthought.

"Maybe you will." He went to look at the paintings. It turned out that the one with the people on it was a photo, not a painting.

"Can you guess who that dog is?" Kim asked him.

There was no mistake about it. It was Buddy and he said so. The said dog lifted his head up from the floor and looked at him, tilting his head. Blue smiled. "Yes, you."

"Yes. And the people on that photo are my family," the woman told him.

"Did you make this?" Blue indicated the painting of Buddy.

"Yes, but I don't do that for a living, if that's what you're thinking," Kim felt the need to tell him. "It's more like a hobby."

"It's very well done," he said. More than just well actually, the painting looked almost alive. He fidgeted, restless. "I think I'll go outside for a while, to stretch my legs and get some air before it starts raining."

"Can't just stand around and do nothing, huh?" Kim asked, a smile on her face. She reminded herself to try and keep her guest occupied so he wouldn't get too restless with boredom. He seemed to be a man of action.

"Yeah, something like that," he said.

"I'll join you after I've finished my breakfast," Kim said.

Blue went outside. His eyes wandered to the horizon._'I wonder if I have someone out there waiting for me to come home…'_Unknowingly, he just happened to look in the direction of Hope Island.

Buddy, who had come outside with him, picked up a stick and brought it to him. He took it from the dog and looked at it, then at Buddy. "What am I supposed to do with this?" he asked.

"He wants you to throw it, so he can catch it. It's called fetch," Kim explained, joining them. Buddy barked, as if to confirm her words.

"Okay," Blue said and threw the stick. But since he didn't remember how powerful he was, the stick flew very, very far away, disappearing in the distance.

"Whoa," was all Kim could say, her eyes following the stick until it disappeared.

"You can say that again. I guess I don't know my own strength," Blue said, dumbfounded. He was shocked, to put it mildly, to find out he possessed so much power. And it hadn't even taken too much effort to throw the stick that far.

The dog was smart enough not to go after the stick, though. Instead, he began looking for another. Finding one, Buddy picked it up and gave it to Blue.

"Try not to throw it too far this time," Kim said and snickered.

Blue grinned. "I'll try not to."

They played fetch for a while, but were interrupted when raindrops began to fall. They hurried inside.

It rained the whole day. Kim and Blue tried to pass the time somehow. They either talked, getting to know each other as well as it was possible since Blue didn't know who he was, or played games Kim had, Trivial Pursuit among them. Every time Blue got a question concerning nature, he aced it. He aced almost every question. He let Kim win, though.

"How do you know so much about everything?" she asked him.

Thanks to the amnesia, Blue didn't know and tried to think of a good answer. "I guess I was just very attentive at school."

"Xavier's school for the gifted maybe?" Kim asked, grinning and ruffling his hair.

"Ha ha. Very funny." He smiled.

Blue went to Buddy and the dog rolled onto his back, offering his stomach for a scratch. Blue obliged.

Kim, who was reading a book, looked at the two them and smiled._'There must be something special about him,'_she thought._'He's the first person Buddy has fully accepted.'_

Blue felt her eyes on him and turned to look at her. He smiled back.

"It still amazes me," Kim said, shaking her head.

Blue went to her and sat down beside her on the couch. "What does?"

"That Buddy has accepted you," she clarified, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Some he has tolerated but you he seems to really like."

"Well, I like him too," Blue said. "And his mistress," he added, looking at Kim and smiling.

She smiled. "I like you too, Blue." And it wasn't just because her dog liked him.


	5. Developing feelings

**Chapter 5: Developing feelings**

Day 3, the clearing and the cabin

The next day, Kim suggested that they go the clearing where she had found him. "Who knows, maybe it will help you remember something," she said.

Blue thought it was a good idea, hoping that he would remember his name, at least although he liked the nickname she had made up for him.

So, they left for the clearing. Kim took an umbrella with her just in case.

No such luck. Even the robots had been taken away. Blue sat down on a tree stump. "Well, it was worth a try, anyway."

Kim went to him and sat down on the stump with him. It was big enough for them both. She put her arm around his shoulders, sympathizing. "It'll take its time. But your memory will come back."

Blue smiled at her, and they sat looking at each other. Kim touched his cheek with her other hand and traced the outline of Blue's cheekbone, down to his chin, her eyes never leaving his. Kim's fingers lingered near his lips. Before she knew what she was doing, she leaned closer and kissed him.

This took Blue completely by surprise, but he didn't pull back, putting a hand on Kim's shoulder.

As they drew apart, both were surprised, not to mention confused. "I really don't know what to make of that," Kim said quietly.

"You're not the only one," Blue said, not sure what to do. This was totally new to him. Or so he surmised.

Raindrops began to fall. "Not again!" Kim exclaimed.

But as soon as the rain had started it stopped. "Still, I guess we should head back," Blue said, looking at the sky. "Those clouds don't look good."

"You're right," Kim agreed, glancing at the sky. "Buddy! Let's go."

On the way back, they encountered a bear. When the animal spotted them, it rose on its hind legs and roared. "Oh, dear," was the only thing Kim could say.

"Kim, don't move," Blue told her, placing himself in front of her.

The woman nodded. "You don't have to tell me twice. Buddy, stay!" she ordered the dog, who growled low in his throat. The dog had his tail between his legs.

Kim looked at Blue. "What are we going to do?"

"You stay here," he said and walked up to the beast, showing no fear. His only thought now was to keep the bear from getting at Kim, not caring about his own safety.

'_What is he doing, trying to get himself killed?'_Kim thought._'Be careful, Blue.'_She feared that the bear would attack first him and then her. Kim watched as Blue stood only a meter away from the bear, ready to run if it came to that.

To her amazement the bear lowered himself back to all fours and loped back into the forest. Blue breathed a sigh of relief. He had been as surprised as Kim had when the bear had gone away. He just didn't have any idea how he had accomplished it.

Kim ran to him, putting her arms around him. She started to tremble. "It's alright, the bear's gone now," he said soothingly, stroking her hair, trying to calm her out of the panic she was in, holding her close.

"You really do have a way with animals. Even wild ones," Kim said admiringly.

He smiled. "Seems that way." Blue would have very much liked to know how in blazes had he done it. It appeared he had other hidden talents in addition to the fire.

Then Kim stood on tiptoe and gave him a little kiss. "Um, that was just a thanks for driving the bear away," she said a bit shyly, not looking at him, scuffing her shoe on the ground.

"Wow, some thanks," Blue said. He lifted her face and smiled affectionately. He cupped her face between his hands and they stood there gazing at each other, eyes locked. Then, without a word, Blue leaned closer and kissed her. Instead of being short like the first, this one took longer.

Raindrops began to fall again. This time it wasn't just a few drops. The two of them were so immersed in one another that they didn't notice until the rain intensified.

"Good thing I prepared for this," Kim said, opening the umbrella. But the umbrella didn't help much, since it was windy and the rain came almost horizontally.

By the time they arrived back to the cabin, both were quite wet. After Kim had given Blue a towel with which to dry himself, she put a fire in the fireplace. Then she went to get out of her wet clothes (and would have given dry clothes for Blue too, but it seemed his "clothes" seemed to be a part of him, just like the globe) and put on some dry ones. She wouldn't have had clothes that would have fit her guest, anyway.

Sitting in front of the fireplace, Kim replaced Blue's wet bandage after drying off Buddy's fur, as well. "How's it look?" he asked absently, staring into the fire.

"About the same," she said. "Did you think it would heal this fast?" When no answer came, she looked at him. "Blue?"

He looked at her. "Hmm?"

"You seemed to be far away," the brunette observed. "Something bothering you?"

Blue made a vague gesture. "Oh, just thinking about what happened, or rather didn't happen, at the clearing."

Kim felt sorry for him. "I'm sorry it didn't work."

"Don't be," he said with a smile. "It's not your fault. Like you said, it will take its time." Blue took her hand in his and looked at the woman in the eyes. "I was also thinking about what did happen back there."

Kim smiled. "So what exactly did happen?" She brushed her fingertips lightly over Blue's cheek, lost in his eyes.

"You tell me," he said, stroking her hair.

She wasn't sure what to say. "Let me just take this back and then we'll talk. Alright?"

Blue didn't object so Kim stood up. He watched as she disappeared around the corner to the hall and smiled._ 'Could it be that I'm falling for her?'_

In the hall, Kim took a steadying breath. His brown eyes had a strange effect on her. It had only been three days since they had met so how could she feel this way? He was a stranger, for Pete's sake.

In the living room, Buddy went to Blue and put his head down on his lap, looking up at him. He scratched the dog behind the ears. "You think you're not getting enough attention, are you?" Blue asked quietly. Buddy raised his head and gave a "woof". He smiled. "Silly dog," he said, giving the dog's head a pat.

Having composed herself, Kim rejoined him, sitting down beside him. They sat there side by side, letting the fire warm them. Blue put his arm around Kim's shoulders. She looked at him and smiled, snuggling close.

After a while they looked at each other again. "Do we even have to talk about this?" Kim asked. "It's pretty obvious what's going on." She felt her heart skip as she gazed into Blue's eyes.

"I guess you're right," Blue said. "I wouldn't even know what to say, to be honest." Kim ran the back of her hand over his cheek, smiling fondly. He smiled back, stroking her hair.

Kim sneezed. "Oh dear, I hope I'm not coming up with a cold."

"Or maybe you're allergic to me all of a sudden," Blue said with a grin.

That thought seemed absurd to her. "Never that, silly." Kim smiled and ruffled his hair. It had become a habit of hers. She fiddled with her hair, a bit nervous all of a sudden. "Um, how about we watch a movie?"

"Well, since we have nothing better to do because of the rain," Blue observed. "Let's have a movie night. You have one in mind?"

Kim thought for a moment. "How about the Alien Saga? Seen it?"

"Even if I had, I wouldn't remember," he said, thinking to himself that he probably wouldn't even be allowed into a movie theater, the way he looked. "But judging from the name it's about some alien."

Kim berated herself for that thoughtless question. "Actually it includes four movies."

She went to put the first tape in the machine. Before the woman sat down on the couch next to Blue, she went to make herself a warm drink. "Just in case I do have a cold coming up," she told him as she sat down.

Blue smiled and put his arms around her. "Extra warmth," he explained. Kim smiled and snuggled close.

About halfway through the first, Aliens, Kim looked at Blue. He sensed her eyes on him and looked at her. Blue fondled her cheek.

Kim smiled. Reluctantly, she pushed Blue's hand away. "Let's just watch the movie, alright?"

When the second movie ended, Kim yawned. "I'm going to bed. Good night, Blue."

"Good night, Kim," Blue said, smiling. "Pleasant dreams."

Kim climbed upstairs, Buddy following behind her. Blue was left alone with his thoughts. He lay down on the couch, deciding to think about what had happened and what it was he felt for Kim.

Upstairs, Kim tried to get to sleep but she just couldn't get her mind off of what had happened.


	6. Happy together

**Chapter 6: Happy together**

Day 4, the cabin

Kim had hardly slept at all, thinking about what it exactly was that she felt for her guest, finally coming to the conclusion that she had fallen for Blue. She had tried to deny it a number of times but finally had had to admit the truth.

Blue had had the whole night to think about what it was that he felt for Kim. Despite not having (or so he assumed) experience in that respect, he had realized he might have indeed fallen for the woman.

Kim came downstairs with a yawn. With just a brief smile at Blue, she went to the kitchen.

After breakfast, they took Buddy for a walk. "Kim, what's the matter?" Blue asked her. "Didn't you sleep well?" He had noticed the dark circles under her eyes.

She refused to look at him. "I'm fine."

"Hey, I can see that you're not," Blue said gently.

"Don't patronize me!" she snapped.

"Alright, alright." Blue held up his hands. "I was just worried about you." Buddy, who was walking between them, glanced at the two of them._'He senses the tension between us,'_Blue thought.

It was a silent walk. Neither said anything as they returned to the cabin, either. Taking a book, Kim sat down on the couch. Blue sat down beside her. The brunette glanced at him and smiled.

"Whatcha reading?" Blue asked just for the sake of conversation.

"Why do I have the feeling my book's not what you really want to talk about?" Kim said and put the book aside and looked at him expectantly. She already had a hunch what he wanted to talk about.

"Well… It's not really." Blue leaned close to her, catching her lips with his own. Kim put her arms around his neck, kissing back.

When they pulled back from each other, Kim looked into Blue's eyes. It was no use fighting back anymore when it was so clear. "So, do I speak for both of us when I say that we've really fallen for each other? I mean this can't be anything else."

Blue smiled. "I just have the feeling that I've never experienced something like this and that's why didn't know what to say."

"Actually, I've never been good with talking about my feelings, either," Kim admitted.

"No wonder we were so uneasy yesterday." Blue grinned.

She smiled affectionately, brushing a finger over his lips lightly and wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. It was a full minute before she pulled back from him.

"I guess it's true what they say," Kim said. "Opposites attract."

Blue smiled. "Well, if we're not opposites, what is?" The contrast between them was so striking.

Kim smiled and rubbed her nose against his, Eskimo style. Kim cuddled up to Blue and sighed happily. Blue put his arms around her and held her close, kissing her temple.

"Who would have thought that something like this would happen when we met?" Kim murmured.

"I certainly didn't," Blue said, looking down at her.

"Sorry I snapped at you earlier," she said. "It's just that I slept little trying to figure things out."

"Me too," Blue said. "Tried to figure this out, that is."

"Easy for you to say," Kim said, ruffling his hair. "You don't need sleep."

Blue smiled. "Well, we don't have to think about this anymore. So it's early to bed with you tonight," he said and touched the tip of her nose lightly.

"Yes, sir," Kim said and gave him a mock salute.

"Silly," Blue said fondly.

They decided to watch the remaining two of the Alien movies. After that, they just sat in each other's arms before watching something else. Some parts they missed, though, distracted by the other occasionally.

It is funny how time flies when you're enjoying yourself. All too soon, at least for the two of them, it was time to go to bed. Blue lifted Kim into his arms and carried her upstairs.

"I could've walked on my own," she told him as he lowered her onto the bed.

Blue smiled. "I know, but I wanted to do it." He brushed Kim's hair away from her face and leaned down to kiss her. "Good night."

"Good night," she murmured and fell asleep almost immediately. Blue went back downstairs and settled down on the couch.

Day 5, the cabin

The next day, although the sun wasn't shining, it was a beautiful day. Kim and Blue decided to go for a walk. They were walking along a path hand in hand.

"You know, I keep expecting to wake up and discover this is a dream," Kim told Blue.

He smiled. "I can assure you, this definitely is not a dream," Blue said. "Besides, do you know a lot of guys that look like me?"

Kim gave a laugh. "You got me there, Blue." She fondled his cheek. Blue smiled affectionately at her.

A couple of hours later when they came back to the cabin, Kim realized she needed to go to town. "Looks like I need to go to do some shopping."

"How far is it to town?" Blue asked.

"About 10 kilometers."

He whistled. "That's quite a long walk."

"Oh, I'm not going to walk there, silly," Kim assured him. "Follow me and I'll show you."

They went to a small shed next to the cabin. There leaning on the wall was a bike. "I prefer it to a car. A bike is easier to handle and maintain." She gave him a quick kiss and got on the bike. "I'll be back soon. Buddy, you stay with him," Kim smiled and with a wave of her hand rode away.

"Well, boy, it's just you and me now. How about playing fetch? You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Blue said, looking at Buddy.

Buddy didn't feel like playing fetch then. So Blue wandered over to the backyard and sat down on one of the chairs. Pretty soon he was deep in thought, thinking about what would happen when his memory did come back.

'_Why do I have the feeling that when my memory does come back, I have to leave. Well, If I'm needed somewhere, I'll have no choice.'_ Even if he didn't remember who he was, his sense of duty was still there.

His thoughts were interrupted by a whispered voice. Blue couldn't make out what the voice said but it was unmistakably a woman's voice. He looked around but couldn't find the source. Buddy didn't hear it, judging from the way he kept sniffing at something.

'_Am I going crazy?' _he wondered, trying to ignore the persistent whispers.

Buddy had found a ball and was playing with it. The dog threw the ball in the air and then chased after it when it hit the ground. Then the dog brought the ball to him, interrupting his thoughts. As he played with the dog, Blue forgot about the incident.

Back on Hope Island, Gaia smiled. She hadn't been able to make contact with him but now she knew where he was approximately. The confusion the spirit had sensed from his end told her something was wrong. It had been as if he hadn't known what to do.

Kim came back. "There you are," she said when she found him in the backyard. Buddy went to her and showed her how happy he was his mistress was back. "Down, boy," the woman told him.

"Did you find everything you need?" Blue asked, giving the ball back to the dog.

"Yes, I did." Kim put her arms around him. "Did you miss me?"

Blue smiled. "What do you think?" He kissed her.

He sat down and pulled Kim onto his lap, her legs dangling from the side. She snuggled against him and put her head against his shoulder. Blue put his arms around her.

They sat in silence for a while. Then Kim spoke up. "Blue?"

He looked at her. "Yes, love?"

She ran her fingertips along his shoulder, biting her lip. "Have you remembered anything yet?"

"Nothing so far," Blue told her. "But I'll let you know when I do."

Kim sighed. "Alright."

Kim traced the lines running horizontally and vertically on the globe on his chest with a finger. During the bike ride, the woman had thought about what would happen when Blue's memory eventually returned. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like it.

Blue watched this silently. "Something bothering you?" he enquired finally.

"How can anything be bothering me?" Kim asked and smiled a little._'Or should I just tell him?'_She decided not to, not wanting to spoil the moment.

He could see that something was bothering her, though, but didn't press the issue. Maybe she would tell him on her own time. "Alright then."

Blue smiled affectionately and ran his hand along Kim's cheek lightly. She smiled and put her arms around his neck, kissing him. Pulling back, she gazed at him for a while, lost in the depths of his brown eyes before putting her head back on his shoulder again.

Soon it was dark. They sat there and watched as the stars came out. "Beautiful, aren't they?" Kim murmured.

"Mm-hmm," Blue replied, stroking her hair.

The brunette yawned and closed her eyes. Soon she was asleep. Noticing this, Blue got up with her in his arms and carried her inside and upstairs. Buddy followed and lay down next to the bed. Blue lowered the woman down onto her bed and put a blanket over her.

'_I guess there's no harm done if I lie down next to her, now that I'm up here,'_he thought. So he lay down beside her and closed his eyes.

Sometime later, some sound woke Kim. She looked around and discovered someone lying next to her. The woman gasped.

Blue opened his eyes at the gasp. "Relax, Kim," he said gently. "It's just me."

Kim relaxed when she recognized the voice. "Blue?"

"I can make myself scarce and go back…" He stopped as he felt her hand on his lips.

"Hush. Did I say I wanted you to go?" She snuggled herself close to Blue, wondering why she hadn't asked him to join her before now, just leaving him to lie down on the couch.

He smiled and kissed her forehead lightly. "Good night, Kim."

"Good night, Blue." Kim closed her eyes.

Day 6, the cabin

The next morning when Kim woke up, she found Blue watching her. He brushed her hair away from her face, leaned down and kissed her. "Good morning."

"Good morning. Hmm, I wouldn't mind waking up like this every morning," Kim said and fondled his cheek. Blue smiled. Buddy watched them from the foot of the bed.

They lounged on the bed for a while, talking about nothing in particular. When the sun made its appearance though, Kim bolted out of bed.

"Beaten by the sun," Blue said, rolling his eyes, wondering about the woman's obsession to get a tan.

Kim looked at him thoughtfully and smiled. "On second thought, I'd rather spend as much time with you as possible. I can work on that tan later. How about we go for a picnic?" Blue didn't object, thinking it was a good idea.

Downstairs, Kim fed Buddy. After that, she rummaged in the fridge and cupboards, filling a basket with a few sandwiches, a thermos with coffee in it, strawberries, and grapes for herself and dog biscuits for Buddy.

But, by the time they went outside, the sun had disappeared behind a cloud. "We're not gonna let this stop us from enjoying ourselves, are we?" Blue asked her, holding her close.

Kim didn't want it to let them. She suggested they go to the lake for the picnic. So they walked to the lake and Kim spread the blanket she had brought with them on the grass. Buddy went to a tree and lay down under it.

Kim ate a couple of sandwiches and drank some coffee for breakfast. After that, they spent some quality time together, sitting under a nearby tree in each other's arms. Kim smiled affectionately at Blue, pulling him to her. "Come here, you." Their lips met. The birds chirped happily in the trees above them.

They pulled back from each other. "I have a sudden craving for strawberries," Kim said, fondling his cheek.

Blue smiled. "Then that's what you shall have," he said, getting up, pulling her up with him. Getting back on the blanket, he took the strawberries from the basket. Kim lay down again, her head resting on a pillow she had brought with her. Blue put the bowl of berries next to her on the blanket and lay down beside her, on his side.

"Too bad I didn't think to put some whipped cream in there," Kim said.

Blue figured they could manage just fine without it. He fed Kim some berries, few times even placing one between his teeth or just his lips and letting Kim take a bite, their lips "accidentally" touching. She did the same with him. Although Blue didn't necessarily need to eat, he liked the taste of the strawberries and ate some. When the strawberries were gone, they lay in each other's arms again.

"Would you really have to leave?" Kim asked suddenly, looking at him.

The question took Blue completely by surprise. "Who said I was leaving?" he asked, puzzled.

"Well, yesterday while I was riding to town and back, I thought about what would happen when your memory comes back."

"Oh." So that's what had been bothering her. "Actually, I was thinking about that while you were gone. It could be that I would have to."

"That figures." Kim lowered her eyes.

Blue lifted her face gently so she looked at him again. "I don't like it anymore than you do, love," he said. "But tell you what. Let's worry about that when it comes to that and make the most of the time we have left. How's that sound?"

"Sounds good." Kim smiled and ran the back of her hand over his azure cheek. Then she wrapped her arms around Blue's neck and pulled him down.

Buddy, who stuck his nose in the basket, interrupted them. "Buddy! Get your nose out of there!" Kim reprimanded the dog. He quickly did so and looked like the boy who was caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

"He must have seen you putting some treats for him in there," Blue said.

"I'm sure he did," Kim said and reached inside the basket and gave the dog the dog biscuits. "Here. Enjoy." Buddy carried the container to a tree and lay down to eat.

"Now, where were we?" Kim smiled at Blue.

"This, I believe," he said and caught her lips with his own. Kim had absolutely nothing against this, mindful of what he had said of making the most of it.

"Wow, that was incredible," Kim said a bit breathlessly after she had, a bit reluctantly, pulled back from Blue. Well, she needed to get some air.

"My thought exactly," Blue agreed, smiling. He fondled Kim's cheek.

Pretty soon, it was the grapes' turn. They were done in about the same fashion as the strawberries.

The pair spent the entire day outside. Kim was glad she had put enough stuff in the basket so that they didn't have to go back inside for her to get something to eat.

When it began to get dark, Blue noticed Kim glance at her watch once in a while. She was trying to be surreptitious about it but he saw it nonetheless.

"What's up?" he wanted to know.

She looked at him and felt her face heat up. "Would you mind if we go back inside? My favorite series is on soon."

"Fine with me, love," Blue said. He looked in the basket. "We're out of snacks anyway."

As they stood up and gathered the blanket, Kim looked at Blue. "Are you sure it's fine?"

He took her face between his hands. "Would I lie to you?" he asked gently. "And if it's your favorite, it really is fine with me." Blue kissed her.

Kim smiled up at him and slipped her hand in his. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter what we do, so long as we're doing it together. Right?"

Blue smiled affectionately. "Yeah." They walked back to the cabin, hand in hand.

After the episode was over, they just sat on the couch in each other's arms. Kim had her head on Blue's shoulder. Suddenly she playfully nipped at his ear.

This made Blue start. "Hey!" he exclaimed, surprised. Kim grinned, amused by his reaction. He shook his head in amusement and smiled. "Silly."

Kim's face was only a couple of centimeters from his. "You haven't seen anything yet, love," she said, smiling. Kim kissed him on the mouth, and then moved along to Blue's chin and down to his neck, then the area above the globe. When she had reached his stomach, Kim stopped, smiling at Blue. "I wasn't gonna go lower, anyway."

He raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"Sure I'm sure." Kim stuck out her tongue at him. Both burst out laughing.

"Come here." Kim obliged and Blue kissed her. Then he moved to her neck and down her arm, then back to her lips.

Later, it turned out that both had to stay on the couch, since Kim fell asleep with her head on Blue's chest and he didn't want to wake her so that she could go upstairs. He did ponder how to do it without waking her but finally decided not to, adjusting his position so that he lay on the couch on his back, being careful not to wake Kim up.


	7. The gang's all here again!

**Chapter 7: The gang's all here again**

Day 7

The Planeteers were on their way to the clearing again, starting the delayed search for the missing superhero. Cap had been MIA for 6 days now. They had just stopped by on Hope Island to leave to Eco-Copter there and have a word with Gaia. She told them she knew where to possibly find him.

Day 7, the cabin

Morning came, and Blue opened his eyes when Kim shifted her position a little. "Kim? You awake, love?" he asked gently. She looked at him with sleepy eyes and smiled. Blue smiled back, stroking her hair. "Did you sleep alright? I know this is not the most comfortable place to sleep but…"

"Yeah, I slept quite well. How come you didn't…?"

"Take you upstairs?" At her nod, he said, "Well, you slept so soundly that I didn't want to wake you. You don't mind, do you?"

Kim smiled. "Of course I don't mind, silly." She leaned closer to Blue and kissed him. Then she put her head down on his chest and sighed.

Buddy, who had slept downstairs, too, came to them. "Morning to you too, boy," Blue said and scratched the dog a little. He glanced outside and noticed the sun was shining.

A moment later Kim noticed it too. She looked at Blue, as if asking his permission. "Go ahead," he said and smiled. After a quick kiss, Kim went to the kitchen to put the coffeemaker on. Shaking his head at her antics, Blue sat up on the couch and stretched.

Once the coffee and the sandwiches were ready, she tried to eat her breakfast in a hurry and get in the sun. Blue watched her with amusement, sitting on the other couch. "Kim, would you slow down," he told her. "I'm sure the sun will still be out there by the time you've finished."

The woman ignored him and went back to eating her sandwich. She happened to swallow it the wrong way and started coughing. Blue quickly got up, went to her and slapped her back a few times. Kim stopped coughing.

Blue sat down next to her. "You all right now?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm all right. Thanks." She smiled at him. "And I guess you're right. The sun won't go anywhere. Unless it does a disappearing act like yesterday."

Blue smiled. "I'm sure it won't do that this time. You'll get your tan. Just be patient."

"Sounds familiar," Kim said, rolling her eyes.

"It does, doesn't it? Now who could have said that?" Blue said, pretending to think about it.

"Guilty as charged," Kim said. "It seems I can't follow my own advice."

She finished her breakfast. "Could you help with the suntan lotion, Blue?" she asked after she had taken the dishes back to the kitchen. "It's a little tricky to spread it onto my back myself."

"Of course. We don't want you to get sunburn, now do we?"

She smiled and fondled his cheek. "No, we certainly don't." As she passed the couch, she ruffled his hair. "I'll be back soon." Blue smiled fondly as he watched her go.

He got up and walked to the door leading to the backyard. Opening it, he stepped outside. Buddy came outside too. Under the overhang, where the chairs and table were, was still shadowed from the sun. The lawn was bathed in sunlight.

"It sure is a great day, huh, Buddy? Especially after all those cloudy and rainy days." Blue stepped onto the lawn.

Feeling a tingling sensation where the cut was, he removed the bandage and looked at his reflection from the kitchen window to check it. The wound was gone! Only a faint scar was left.

'_Gaia and the kids must be worried about me,'_Cap thought._'It's been a while.'_

He did a double take. Gaia? The kids? His memory had returned! All it had taken was the sun. "I better get in touch with Gaia," Cap said quietly to himself._"Gaia? Can you hear me?"_

The answer came almost immediately._"Planet? Are you alright?"_It was obvious she was worried.

"_Yeah, I'm fine now. I hit my head and lost my memory."_

The worry dissipated._"So that's why didn't answer me when I tried to reach you earlier."_

He remembered the whispers he had heard. So it had been Gaia…_"'fraid so."_He was glad the spirit understood he had been a victim of circumstance._"A woman, Kim her name is, found me and I've been with her ever since."_

"_I see. I can tell that you care about this Kim a lot,"_the spirit observed.

"_Yeah, I do,"_Cap admitted. He hadn't bothered to hide it from her.

"_She must be quite a girl."_

If she only knew._ "__She is and I would really hate to leave her."_Cap decided to change the subject._ "__I take it that the Planeteers are looking for me. Where are they now?__"_

There was a pause._"They've just arrived at the clearing."_

"_Alright. I think I'll surprise them."_With that, he broke the connection.

Just then Kim came outside, wearing her bikini. The brunette had tied her hair back. She smiled at him. "How do I look?" she asked, doing a pirouette.

"You look great," Cap commented, and meant it. He tried to keep the sadness away from his voice. Before Kim lay down on the towel she had spread on the grass, the superhero went to her. He put his hand on her shoulder. "Kim, there's something I have to tell you…"

Kim turned to look at him. She could tell something was wrong. "Blue? What's the matter?" she asked. "Your wound is gone. How did that happen?"

Knowing it would be too complicated to explain, he just said, "I have to go now…"

Looking at him, she realized what had happened. "Your memory has returned, hasn't it?"

"Yes." His voice was sad. Well, he had to leave someone he cared a great deal about. Kim lowered her eyes to look at the ground. "We both knew this day would come," Cap said gently, lifting her face so she looked him in the face again. "Didn't we?"

"I just didn't think it would come so soon," Kim said quietly. She pressed up against him. "Do you really have to go?"

He put his arms around her. "I'm afraid so. The Planeteers have been worried about me and are looking for me as we speak. I can't keep them waiting."

So she had been right about his connection with the five. But just what was it? Kim stepped back, albeit reluctantly. "You better go then."

"Yeah." He was about to leave but remembered something. "Didn't you say you'd like to meet the Planeteers?"

She smiled, realizing this wasn't goodbye yet, after all. "I guess I did."

He smiled a little. "I'll try to arrange it then." The superhero jumped up into the air. Cap knew he was only postponing the inevitable.

Kim watched him go. "I guess I have to make myself decent if we're going to have company," she said to Buddy. The woman went back inside and upstairs to change.

Day 7, the clearing

The Planeteers had already searched the forest around the clearing. So far no superhero. "I remember seeing a cabin on the way here," Gi said. "It was this way, I think."

However, before they left in the direction Gi had indicated, the one they were looking for landed near them. "Hiya, Planeteers. Looking for me?"

"Captain Planet! Are you alright?" The girls ran to him and hugged him.

Cap hugged them back, glad to see the five again. "Yeah, I'm alright. What kept ya?"

"We had family business to take care of," Kwame said.

"Nothing serious, I hope." He left it up to them whether they wanted to tell him or not.

Wheeler looked vaguely sad. "My father died, and I had to be there for my mother."

Cap placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "Sorry to hear that, Wheeler."

"It's not like we got along," the boy dismissed it. "Where have you been?"

"When I was trashing Blight's 'bots, I hit my head and lost my memory. Totally." His hand went to the scar on his forehead and scratched at it absently. "If it hadn't been for Kim, I guess I would have been really lost. She found me and took me to her cabin. So that's where I've been these past few days."

"So I was right when I thought someone had found you and taken you with him, uh her," Linka said.

"How did your memory come back? Was it the sun?" Ma-Ti asked.

Cap nodded. "So, did you catch Blight?"

"Yeah," Wheeler said. "She won't bother us anymore."

"Until next time," the superhero commented, having had enough experience about that. "By the way, Kim would like to meet you guys."

"We're not in a hurry, are we?" Wheeler asked. The others shook their heads. "Lead the way, Cap."

"Follow me." Cap jumped into the air. The Planeteers got into the Geo-Cruiser and followed the superhero.

Kim, who was already waiting for them, waved when she saw Cap coming, noticing the Geo-Cruiser behind him. She was wearing a T-shirt and jeans now and her hair was loose again.

Cap landed beside her. Kim smiled at him and glanced at Buddy, who, until now had been wagging his tail. When he saw the Geo-Cruiser landing, though, a growl could be heard deep in his throat, his hackles raised.

"Oh, dear," Kim said, exchanging a look with Cap.

He looked from Buddy to the Geo-Cruiser. "Oh, dear is right. I had forgotten he doesn't like strangers." He saw the door of the Cruiser open. "Planeteers! Stay in the Cruiser for the moment."

Cap knelt beside Buddy, placing his hand on the dog's neck. Buddy glanced at him, and then turned his attention back to the "intruders". "Listen, boy. Those are my friends you're showing your teeth at. I think that's plain rude."

The dog stopped growling, looking at him as if he was sorry. "Good boy," Cap said, patting the dog's back. He stood up and signaled the kids it was safe now.

The Planeteers climbed out and approached the trio. They let Buddy sniff them. Cap made the introductions.

"Nice to meet you, Planeteers," Kim said with a smile and held out her hand for each of them.

"Nice to meet you too, Kim," The kids shook hands with her, Wheeler even winking at her. Linka noticed this and dragged him away by his arm.

"Is he always like that?" Kim asked.

"Sometimes he's even worse," Gi said. "But we know he does it mostly just to annoy Linka."

Kim caught on fast. "You mean those two…?"

"Uh huh," Gi confirmed. "They just can't get around to admitting how they feel."

Kim led them to the backyard. Cap leaned on a supporting beam, arms crossed on his chest. Ma-Ti noticed the gentle look he had when Cap looked at Kim._'Could it be…'_the Heart Planeteer wondered.

"Can I get you anything? Coffee maybe?" she asked as the kids sat down. "You're not in a hurry, are you?" She looked hopefully from the Planeteers to Cap.

"Not unless an eco-emergency comes up," Cap told her. Kim nodded and went to put the coffeemaker on.

"Nice place you have here, Kim," Kwame told Kim when she rejoined them.

She smiled. "Thank you. Blue here liked it too."

"Blue? That's not…" Wheeler said.

"I know it's not his real name," Kim said, looking at Cap. "But since he didn't remember what his name was at the time, I came up with Blue."

"For obvious reasons, don't you think?" the superhero commented. "And I happen to like it." He expected Wheeler to say something clever but for once the boy shut up.

"By the way, you never did tell me your real name," Kim told him.

"You didn't ask," Cap pointed out.

She realized she hadn't indeed. "I'm asking now."

"Captain Planet at your service, miss," he introduced himself, taking a bow.

Kim gave a little laugh at this. "It actually suits you."

He smiled. "Well, you can call me by whatever name you want."

She smiled back. "One thing puzzles me," Kim said, turning to the Planeteers. "What's the connection between you five and him?"

"He helps us to fight against the eco-villains," Kwame told her. "When we can't handle something by ourselves we call him to help us."

"How do you call him?" Kim wanted to know, curious. "Use some kind of signal?"

Cap gave a laugh. "I guess you could call it a signal. You see each has a ring?" Kim nodded. "Each ring controls its given element. There's Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Heart." As he said their power, the one that had a given one, raised his or her hand. "When they need me… Well, I guess it's better to show you." With that, he made his customary exit, not bothering with the catchphrase this time.

The kids waited for a moment and then Kwame spoke the words. "Let our powers combine! Earth!"

"Fire!"

"Wind!"

"Water!"

"Heart!"

Again, five streaks shot out from the rings and merged to form the eco-hero. "By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!" He proclaimed (mostly for show) and landed beside Kim again. Buddy came over and sniffed at him. Realizing he was a person the dog already knew, Buddy left him alone.

"Oh, that's how it's done," she said, unfazed. "So you can control the elements, huh?"

"Yeah. They don't call me an environmental superhero for nothing," Cap said with a grin.

"That explains a lot." Then Kim remembered the coffee. "The coffee must be ready. Could you come and give me a hand with the cups, Blue?"

He smiled at her use of the name she had given him. It had become a sort of a pet name now. "Sure." He went inside with Kim.

"I wonder if nothing startles that woman," Gi said.

"Maybe not," Wheeler said. "She and Cap appear to be good friends, by the way."

"I have a feeling it is more than friendship, my friend," Ma-Ti said, grinning. The superhero had still to confirm his suspicions.

"What…?" the American began, but was interrupted when the pair came back outside.

"…was the fastest washing I've ever seen," Kim was saying, carrying a coffeepot. "You didn't even break anything."

"Oh, please. I am careful, even if I'm fast," Cap said. He was carrying a tray with cups and plates on it. He put it on the table.

"Sorry I don't have anything to give you with the coffee," Kim said.

"That's quite alright. What's this about him not breaking anything?" Gi asked with interest as the Planeteers took a cup and a plate each.

"Just that there wasn't enough clean cups. So he did a fast washing of the dirty ones, real fast I might add," Kim explained with an admiring look Cap's way. The Planeteers noticed the look and exchanged looks of their own. "Do any of you need sugar or milk with your coffee?" Kim asked placing the pot on a coaster. It turned out she had to get both.

"What did she mean by 'explains a lot'?" Gi asked the superhero.

"Just that I discovered I could create fire from thin air and we puzzled over who I was," Cap replied.

"Yes, and he would have tried to do more… if he hadn't burned a bush first while doing his 'little experiments'," Kim commented, as she came back outside with the milk and sugar.

"You? Burned a bush?" Gi asked, surprised.

Cap shrugged. "Yeah, well. Keep in mind I didn't know how to control my powers… which I didn't even remember having."

As the kids sipped at their coffee, they noticed the looks Cap and Kim gave each other. "Are we missing something here? Is there something you should tell us?" Gi asked Cap.

"Who me?" he asked innocently.

"Come on, Cap," Wheeler said. "We saw the looks."

Kim looked mischievously at the superhero. "How about we show them?"

He grinned. "Let's." He put his arms around her, and leaned down and kissed her.

The Planeteers almost choked on their coffee. "Whoa," was the only thing Wheeler could get out, after he'd spurted his mouthful of coffee all over the place, luckily missing the other 'Teers.

Kim and Cap pulled back from each other. He put his arm around Kim's shoulders and grinned. "I can't blame you for being surprised. This is the first time something like this has happened, after all. But I got feelings too, you know."

"What do you mean by this being the first time?" Kim wanted to know.

"Fighting against polluters and the like is the only kind of life I've known for these past two years," Cap told her. "But I'm not complaining. I like what I do."

"Still, it was about time for you to take a little break," Kim told him.

"Can't complain about the company I spent that break with," Cap said, smiling.

"Likewise," Kim said. She pressed up against him, resting her head on his chest. Cap put his arms around her, kissing the top of her head.

"I just can't imagine you involved with someone, Cap," Wheeler interrupted their tender moment. Gi, who sat next to him, kicked him in the shin under the table. "Ow!" the redhead exclaimed. "What did you do that for?"

Cap's smile faded. "You don't need to, Wheeler. It's not as if we could be together, no matter how much I'd like to. Being who I am has its drawbacks."

Kim looked up at him reassuringly. Cap smiled a little at her. His eyes reflected his sadness, though. Kim reached up and brushed the back of her hand over his cheek.

The Fire Planeteer slapped his forehead, realizing his mistake. "Me and my big mouth."

They decided to tell Kim about some of the missions, and also about the various times they had had to rescue Cap from the clutches of some villain.

"You've been through a lot," Kim said admiringly, meaning all of them but mostly Cap.

"There have been some close calls, but thanks to these five, I'm still around," Cap told her. "I couldn't ask for better partners… or friends." The Planeteers returned the sentiment. "That's also the reason why I have to leave. I don't even want to think about what a brute like Nukem would do to someone close to me. But we have to make sure none of the villains find out." That wasn't the only reason but he didn't want to get into that.

"Don't you worry," Kim said, wrapping her arms around him. "They won't hear it from me."

Cap smiled at her. The thought had never crossed his mind that she would. "Didn't think so."

Then Ma-Ti spoke up. "Excuse me, but I just received word that we are needed."

"Why am I not surprised?" Cap commented, rolling his eyes.

Thanking for the coffee, the Planeteers got up from the table. Kim saw them back to the Geo-Cruiser.

"It was nice meeting you, Planeteers," she said.

"You too," Kwame said.

"You know, if you ever have a break longer than a day, you're always welcome here," Kim said, glancing at Cap.

"We seldom do, but thank you. We will keep that in mind and maybe take up on your offer some day."

"I'll be with you shortly, Planeteers," Cap said. "You won't need your powers until you get to the scene after all." He wanted to say goodbye to Kim in private.

The kids nodded. They understood. Each scratched Buddy before they got aboard the Cruiser.

Kim looked at Cap. "This is it, huh? This really is goodbye?"

Cap nodded. "I can't change who I am even if I wanted to." A part of him wished he could do that, turn himself back to the human he had been a very long time ago.

"I wouldn't want you to change who you are, love," Kim told him. "If you did, who'd protect the Earth?"

Cap smiled a little. She had a point. "Yeah."

"This just isn't fair. I finally find someone I care about and lose him again." She stroked his hair, her eyes gentle.

Cap gave a heavy sigh, sharing her feelings. "Who said life was fair, love?" He held up his hand. Slowly, something formed on his palm, taking the shape of a flower, a rose to be exact. "This is for you," he said, smiling affectionately, handing the flower to her.

Kim gasped, holding the flower carefully. "It's beautiful. Thank you."

"But it doesn't compare to you," he said, his hand on Kim's cheek, thumb brushing her lips lightly.

Kim blushed. She pressed up against Cap, putting her arms around him. "Will we ever see each other again?"

Cap held her close. "Maybe. I'd sure like that."

"Me too. Maybe I'll get into trouble and you'll come to my rescue, superhero of mine," Kim said, ruffling his hair, trying to lighten the mood a little.

Cap smiled a little at that. "You heard Kwame. We hardly ever have breaks, but maybe someday we will be able to take up on your offer. At least I hope so."

"I just hope I won't be an old hag by then," Kim said, half-joking.

"Even if you were, my feelings would be the same, love." Cap smiled affectionately. He leaned down and kissed her, putting his arms around her. Kim kissed him back, not wanting to let him go.

But eventually she did let go. They gazed at each other for a moment, their arms around each other. Kim felt tears well up. She didn't want him to see her cry, so she buried her face in Cap's shoulder.

He kissed her temple, holding her close. "Please don't cry, love." Kim mumbled something he couldn't make out.

Not wanting to drag this out too long, Cap pulled back from her. "Take care of her for me, Buddy," he said to the dog. As if understanding, Buddy gave a "woof". Cap smiled and patted the dog's head. He kissed Kim one more time and brushed her tears away. "I love you," he said before vanishing.

Kim felt a light breeze caress her cheek. "I love you too, Captain Planet," she whispered to the wind. Kim knelt down and put her arm around Buddy's neck, admiring the rose Cap had given her.


	8. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The Planeteers were flying back to Hope Island. After about 5 minutes they heard the familiar voice and their powers returned to the rings. To their ears the shout didn't sound very cheerful. It sounded very sad.

"Can't really blame him," Gi said. "We all saw how much he cares about Kim."

After Gaia's briefing, the Planeteers flew to the scene and confronted the villain, who happened to be Sly Sludge this time. Eventually they had to call Cap, who appeared, but to their surprise, didn't say the usual proclamation of powers combining, but went straight to the point. He did offer some of his usual jokes to the villain, but they were a little halfhearted. The Planeteers noticed he didn't look too happy, either.

So after Sludge had managed to get away, the Planeteers talked to Cap. "I'll be alright," he told the five, not believing his own words at the moment. The newfound feelings were so new to him that he didn't know how to deal with them. "Just give me a couple of days." He sat down on a rock, afraid his legs would give out from under him.

The Planeteers prompted him to talk to them, especially Ma-Ti. "You will feel better if you talk about it." The Heart Planeteer didn't dare to open his mind to the superhero's sadness, fearing it would overwhelm him.

Cap sighed. "Maybe. I'm sorry, guys. I just don't feel like talking right now."

All of a sudden, Gaia appeared. "You should. Like Ma-Ti said, you'll feel better after that. At least a little. You won't be of much use if you're an emotional wreck."

That did it. Cap gave in and stood up. "Fine." He turned to the Planeteers. "See you back on Hope Island, then." With that, he disappeared with Gaia.

The kids got aboard the Geo-Cruiser. "Let's just hope Gaia can help him. It saddens me to see him like this," Gi said.

"You are not the only one," Ma-Ti said.

Gaia and Cap arrived back to Hope Island. "I saw everything," the spirit said. "Well, from the moment you contacted me anyway."

"You mean you eavesdropped, right?" Cap didn't sound pleased.

"You can call it whatever you want. I don't mean to sound harsh, but you can't let what happened interfere with your duties."

He looked at her and frowned. "I won't. I have always done my best, haven't I?"

"Of course you have," the spirit said, laying a hand on the superhero's shoulder. "And I know you didn't mean to fall in love with that woman."

"Well, excuse me," Cap said disparagingly. "In case you didn't know, I got feelings too. And 'that woman' does have a name." He said this little too roughly then he had intended. He just couldn't help it, it was still so fresh. "Her name is KIM!" He felt tears sting his eyes but stubbornly held them back.

This caught Gaia by surprise. She had never known him to shout at his friends, let alone her.

"I-I'm sorry," Cap said, taking a deep breath, fighting back the tears.

The spirit of the Earth could see that and regretted being so hard on him. Neither of them had expected a girl to catch his eye so the spirit didn't know how to feel about this new development._'It's been too long.'_She went to the superhero and hugged him. "It's me who should be sorry, son."

Cap couldn't remember how long it had been since the spirit had called him that and managed to smile a little.

Gaia looked at him. "It's alright. Let it out. You'll feel better afterwards."

Cap still held the tears back. He was a superhero, and superheroes didn't cry, did they?

"I know what you must be thinking. But everybody needs to cry sometimes. Even you." Her voice was gentle and soothing. "It's alright."

Something in her voice broke the last of his defenses and Cap buried his face in Gaia's shoulder and shoulders heaving, he sobbed his heart out.

"There you go. Just let it all out," Gaia said soothingly, stroking his hair.

They were still like that when the Planeteers arrived.

Sensing the five watching, Cap pulled back from Gaia. "Thank you," he said, smiling. Gaia smiled back and nodded.

The superhero greeted the Planeteers with a smile. It still had a trace of sadness. "Well, guess I'll go recharge now. The power is…"

"Captain Planet, wait!" Kwame interrupted.

"If you're gonna ask am I better now, the answer is yes," Cap said. "Well, at least a little better. I guess the pain of losing Kim will never go away completely, but I hope I'll learn to live with it." He sighed for the umpteenth time. "Eventually."

"Who knows, maybe you will see her again someday," Linka offered.

"Maybe. But I doubt it." He didn't want to get his hopes up. Before anyone could say anything more, he shouted, "The power is yours!" and left.

'_I have a feeling you _will_ see her again,'_Gaia thought. The spirit just didn't know when it would happen.


End file.
